In my Banish Burnout Toolkit™ the first step is the Stress Audit™, in which you write about your reactions to any particular stressor or stressful event. In order to change your reactions to stress it is important to first look at how you react to stress so you can think about what steps you are going to take to change. We look at the various reaction types: physical, verbal, emotional, exacerbating (how upset did you get & how long did you stay upset?) and possible addictive behaviors. Of course addictive behaviors include actions like drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes or drugs, shopping, staying in bed, and any avoidance behavior. Overeating is certainly included.

When I was discussing the stress audit with a mentor recently, he warned me to take care not to confuse the word addiction with habit when talking about the use of food for stress relief. He said that using the word addiction infers lack of control and that overeating was about habits.

So I began to wonder: is overeating caused by addiction or habit?

Normally I don’t dwell on the addiction piece in my talks because it is such a large & complex subject.

However I realize that it is an important piece of the food dilemma. Based on my decades of research and experience managing my own weight and maintaining a 50-pound weight loss for over 15 years, plus coaching and helping many others with their weight loss journeys, I have studied the subject ad nauseum.

First, let’s do some numbers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one-third of Americans are overweight, and another third are obese. That’s two-thirds of Americans overweight and obese. The causes of overweight and obesity are many and complex, ranging from biology, to endocrinology, psychology & even to genetics.

To kick off my research I went to the Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary to look up the definition of addiction: “the state of having yielded to a habit or practice or to something that is habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.” Based on this strict definition, I would have to agree that overeating is not an addiction because cutting back on the portions of our meals does not cause severe trauma. While giving up sugar does cause a physiological reaction, that reaction is not traumatic.

On the other side of the argument lies Dr. Robert Lustig, pediatric endocrinologist, Professor of Pediatrics at University of California, San Francisco Medical School, who has been on a campaign to reduce sugar in the food supply and to educate all Americans about the amount of added sugar in many foods. Dr. Lustig, author of Fat Chance and several other books, came to the fore when his Youtube video, “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” went viral.

According to Dr. Lustig, sugar is certainly addictive, causing the same reaction in the brain as cocaine. The reason is physical, just like with cocaine, when you ingest sugar. “An addiction causes thoughts, which then causes certain habits.” So in this case the addiction is what causes the habit.

So now let’s break down habits. A habit has three parts: a cue, an action, and a reward.

The cue triggers you to do a behavior. It could be something you see or smell, or a time of day, an emotion, or a place. The action is obviously the behavior, and the reward is the benefit you receive from doing the action. It usually includes a feeling of satisfaction or pleasure, which encourages you to repeat it.

So, for example, after I teach Zumba Fitness, I go for a healthy smoothie. The cue is the Zumba class, the action is going to get the smoothie and drinking it, & the reward is the good feeling from having replenished my electrolytes. Another example, which is not so healthy came in the form of a client’s complaint, “This weekend I have to work on a difficult report. For this, I’m going to need some chocolate.” In this case the cue is the difficult work, the behavior is eating the chocolate, and the reward or benefit is the temporary good physical feelings and mood-boosting from eating the chocolate.

With eating or overeating, the reward is feeling full after having eaten a meal, or in the case of sugar, a chemical reaction in the brain, which makes us feel good, at least temporarily.

According to a report on NPR.org, “The negative effects sugar has on our bodies are staggering: sugar alters our hormones so we don’t register hunger the way we normally would, making us eat more; it spikes our dopamine (happiness chemical in the brain), requiring us to eat more sugar for the same effect; and it affects our liver in the same way that alcohol does.”

So according to this line of thinking, it would follow that sugar is addictive.

So, is overeating caused by habit or addiction?

After careful thought and deliberation, I have decided that the answer is: both.

Ingesting sugar sets up a chemical reaction in the brain causing us to want to eat more.

And the reward from overeating is the contentment and comfort provided by eating a big meal.

I know that the Corona Virus is on everyone’s mind these
days and that everyone is feeling and experiencing fear, frustration, and yes,
even depression.

Our routines have been uprooted. Everything we are used to
doing has changed. The gyms are closed. We can’t meet friends for coffee or a
meal in a restaurant. It’s not even advised to invite anyone to your home because
we don’t know if they might inadvertently be a carrier. By the way the
incubation period is two to fourteen days, with a median of five.

So this situation got me thinking: what can we
do to protect our mental health during the Covid-19 crisis?

First and foremost, we need to remember that we care about
each other and we want and need to do what’s best for our families and our
community, and if you’re in human resources, or are a business leader, our
employees. That means, as you know, shelter in place.

Also we want to try and focus on resilience. Resilience
is about being able to respond to any challenge. We’ve never had a challenge
that has impacted the whole world simultaneously, in most of our lifetimes. I
believe the last was the Spanish Flu 100 years ago.

Remember, there are things we can control and things we
can’t control. We can’t control the virus, as individuals, but we can
control our thoughts, which impact our feelings, our actions, and
reactions. This is not to say that I have not had a moment of anxiety or
fear or frustration, but when I stop, I realize that fear is not going to be
helpful, and that I could heed my own advice and monitor my thoughts. Also,
I remember that we are staying home because we want to save lives and slow the
spread of the virus.

We don’t want to let this situation freak us out, but we do
want to be careful. We want to stay focused and as much as possible remain
positive.

Recently my friend, MJ Shaar went on Linkedin and taught us
that “Positive emotions are the best defense we have right now against fear,
besides handwashing and social distancing.” We can still remain
social, just by different means.

And speaking of positivity, did you know that laughter
brings us happiness chemicals, like endorphins? So put on a funny
video and get to laughing.

So, let’s all focus on the beauty of the situation…instead
of worrying about what you are going to do at home all day with your kids.
Cherish that time together and take advantage of some of the online resources.
Do projects together – make drawings, games, etc. Teach your children how to cook
healthy meals.

Also try to focus on the good things,the silver
lining of the Corona Virus:

First it unites us as
a people worldwide against this common a deadly virus. We are in this
together.

Second, it brings us closer
to our families.

Third, it shows us that we
are more alike than different.

Fourth, it gives working
people the opportunity to eat healthy, home-cooked meals and to save time not
commuting.

Fifth, it forces us to dig
deep to find three good things to be grateful for.

Sixth, we have more time to
exercise. How about taking a hike with your family or dancing to some popular
music? I’ve been teaching Zoom-based Zumba classes and I realize how
much better I feel because I’ve had a good workout.

In terms of working remotely, the key is connection and
communication. Look at what will work, rather than what won’t. So
don’t practice social distancing, just physical distancing.

Finally and most important, we will discover that we are resilient
and that we will come through this pandemic stronger and wiser. We are in this
fight together. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to
in a while. This is a great time to connect with old friends and relatives.

We all can learn to live a life of compassion and care for
one another, looking for what makes us alike rather than different. So,
let’s take that lesson and carry it forward into the future.

I wish you all health and safety during this crisis and beyond.

Janice Litvin is a workplace wellness speaker and coach
offering VIRTUAL as well as LIVE presentations and workshops. She can be
reached at Janice@JaniceLitvin.com
or on Linkedin or all the other social media, including Youtube.

The issue of managing stress in the workplace is not really new, but what is new is the relentless pace of business today. The “always on” nature of our world which some bosses take advantage of by expecting people to be responsive 24/7. This attitude is causing staggering statistics; studies show that over 40% of all workers face high stress in their jobs, which negatively affects their productivity & their health.

This lively interactive program teaches anyone how to re-frame their behavior patterns by understanding the source of their behavior patterns and then understanding how to change them. All participants receive the Banish Burnout Toolkit™

Key take-aways:

Learn how we developed mental patterns of dealing with stress.

Learn how to recognize signs of burnout so you can head it off.

Learn three powerful strategies for managing stress for life.

The below video is a short snippet of a 75-minute presentation, which includes hands-on exercises to anchor the learning.

What can you do to enhance employee engagement in your wellness programs?

I have developed three simple ideas to help you win over your non-joiners and even get them excited about getting involved with your wellness events, and moreover get them more engaged with your teams.

Nowadays most large companies are offering some sort of wellness programming. Unfortunately, engagement levels in these workplace wellness programs is still hovering down around 30% – 40%, according to Gallup.

#1 Bring the wellness message to your employees

First, start by looking at how you are communicating your wellness messaging. Did you know that many employees don’t even know what their company offers? They don’t bother to visit your wellness portal.

What can you do? Bring the message to them. There are two ways.

Engage the champions: The easiest method is to get your wellness champions, assuming you have a wellness champion network, going around spreading enthusiasm about the various offerings and engaging others to help spread the word. While they’re out there, have the champions do informal surveys to ask what types of programming the non-joiners need and want.

Engage the managers: The second part of this communication strategy is to request help from your first line managers. Make sure they are talking about wellness with their team because a well team is a productive team.

Furthermore, have the managers actually participate. Leading by example: it is well documented by Rand Health and others that leading by example is one of the most impactful ways to enhance engagement. Of course, joining challenges together as a team is a valuable way to strengthen the bonds within the team, as well.

Then employees receive the added benefit of the social engagement, a major tenet of workplace wellness. Social engagement releases serotonin in the brain, and connections are an important way to help prevent burnout.

#2: Confront Mental Health Stigma

The second tip is about overcoming the stigma against mental health, which is still pervasive in many companies today. Many managers are afraid to confront what they perceive as a mental health issue, so they tend to sweep the problem under the rug.

There are two ways to tackle stigma. First, get leaders to role model talking about their own struggles with mental health. We don’t want people suffering in silence. We want to get them the help they need. Many people are still embarrassed by mental struggles. If their leaders set the tone, by opening up, then employees will begin to feel more comfortable about following suit. Then the company’s culture will become open to having people ask for help when they need it.

The second way to confront stigma stems from a law enforcement slogan: See Something, Say Something.

If you, the team manager, notice that someone seems off at work, or sad, or just not herself or himself, and this goes on for several days, take them aside privately. One idea is to take them for a walk out of the office. Here’s a suggested conversation starter, “Hey Joe, I notice that you seem a little sad today, and it’s been like this for a few days. Is something going on that you want my help with? Is there anything I can do to help you? Would you like to talk to me or someone in HR, or EAP? We want to help if there’s something going on.”

Together, these ideas, manager role modelling and See something, Say something, will help to reduce the stigma associated with mental health.

#3: Start with Managers’ WHY for Wellness

My third idea for enhancing engagement in your wellness program is probably the easiest and yet, most powerful tip of all. Help your managers find their whyfor wellness, the purpose. Simon Sinek says to “Start With Why.”

Your managers are the conduit to the teams (your biggest asset), and when you help managers understand the why for wellness, they can communicate it to their teams.

Here’s your why, at the corporate level: healthy people are happy. Happy people come to work and they like being there. They treat each other well, they treat customers well, and they’re more productive while they’re there. Moreover, the bottom line is very healthy. A happy workforce creates a health company.

I challenge you to try my three tips for engaging your employees in wellness:

1. Bring messaging to your teams, using the wellness champions and the managers

2. Remove mental health stigma by getting leadership to share their struggles and using See Something, Say Something

Today I had the honor of being interviewed by Meghan Jansen of Employee Wellness Solutions Network of London, Ontario, Canada. We spoke all things #workplace #stress and #burnout, as it pertains to my work with Cognitive Behavior Therapy (#CBT) originally developed by Dr. Albert Ellis. CBT aims to help people delve deeply into how they currently react to stress and then helps them to identify ways to change their stress behavior. Click here to see the whole interview.